Dispensing carton for interfolded tissue sheets



Aug. 16, 1966 s. J. EAKENS 3,266,665

DISPENSING CARTON FOR INTERFQLDED TISSUE SHEETS Filed Feb. 4, 1964 1 F if I r v l I f I l a n v v I I v n l r I v I u f 5 i United States Patent3,266,665 DISPENSING CARTON FOR INTERFOLDED TISSUE SHEETS Samuel JamesEakens, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Kimberly-Clark (Iorporation,Neenah, Wis., 21 corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 4, 1964, Ser. No.342,500 1 Claim. (Cl. 221-48) My invention relates to sheet packagingarrangements and particularly to receptacles or cartons in which sheetsof facial tissue or the like are packed and marketed. More particularly,the invention relates to such cartons which are adapted to receivetissue sheets that have been interfolded and are so arranged to permitthe user of the product to dispense sheets from the carton one at atime.

Receptacles for serially dispensing interfolded tissue sheets disposedin stacked relation in the receptacle have been previously proposed andused. One of these has a fixed top panel or cover with a rather largeaperture therethrough, and a sheet discharge control panel is providedbetween the stacked sheets and the top panel of the receptacle. Thecontrol panel fits loosely in the receptacle and is of larger size thanthe aperture in the fixed top panel of the receptacle and is slightlysmaller in size than the internal dimensions of the receptacle. Thecontrol panel has an opening therethrough which is a little smaller thanthe aperature in the top panel of the carton, and sheets are drawnupwardly through the two apertures to dispense them. The smaller sizedopening permits frictional engagement between a sheet being dispensedand the next sheet in the stack so that each succeeding sheet tends tostand in upraised position through the opening in the control panel dueto the preceding sheet being withdrawn through the apertures of thecontrol panel and the top panel of the receptacle. The control panel isof lightweight paperboard so as to be sulficiently lightweight to permitthe control panel to move upwardly toward the upper panel of thereceptacle upon withdrawal of a sheet through the opening in the controlpanel and subsequently return to rest upon the stack in the carton withthe next sheet projecting through the opening in the control panel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved and moreeconomically manufactured carton of this type which is of suchconstruction that the upper panel of the carton may be broken into aninternal part and a fixed rim due to perforating provided in the toppanel of the receptacle, whereby the internal part of the panl afterbeing so broken away forms the control panel which moves upwardly anddownwardly within the carton as sheets are individually withdrawn fromthe carton.

It is also an object of the invention to provide perforated tab portionson the sides of the cart-on which may be utilized for the purpose oflimiting the upward movement of the control panel, after a part of thestack of sheets within the carton has been used.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, tarrangements anddevices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out theabove stated objects, and such other objects, as will be apparent fromthe following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention,illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing package or carton embodyingthe principles of the invention shown in its condition prior to thebreaking of perforations in its top panel to open the carton and toprovide an internal sheet control panel;

'FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which sheetsin the carton of FIG. 1 are folded;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line Patented August16, 1966 33 in FIG. 1, and illustrating the contents of the carton asthey appear when a sheet is being withdrawn from the carton; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the contents of thecarton as they exist after a sheet has been withdrawn from the cartonand also illustrating the tab means provided on the sides of the cartonfor limiting the upward movement of the sheet control panel in thecarton.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown to be a box-likereceptacle or car-ton 10 which is formed of side panels 11 and 12, endpanels 13 and 14, a bottom panel 15, and a top panel 16. The receptacle10 is preferably made from relatively inexpensive material, such ascardboard or paperboard, so that it may be easily disposed of when itscontents have been removed. All of the panels 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16are integral as the package is marketed; however, the side panels 11 areperforated along U-shaped lines 17 and the top panel 16 is perforated ina closed line 18 that is for the most part parallel to and is adjacentto the edges of the panel 16, and the top panel is perforated along anendless line 19 of slotted form in the center of the panel.

A stack of folded tissues 20 are provided within the carton. Each of thetissues 20 is folded on a longitudinal center line of each tissue so asto provide folds 20a, 2fb, 20c, 20d, 20e, 20f, 20g, 20h, 201', 20 20k,20 20m, etc. of tissues 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, etc. Thetissues are interfolded with each other so that the lower fold 200 ofthe uppermost tissue 20A lies underneath the upper fold 20b of thetissue 20B, and the lower fold 20a of the tissue 20B lies beneath theupper fold 20d of the tissue 20C. The interfolding pattern throughoutthe complete stack of tissue sheets is the same and is such that thelower fold of a sheet next higher in the stack lies beneath the upperfold of the sheet next lower in the stack and tends to pull the latterupper fold upwardly along with it as it is pulled upwardly.

When it is desired to utilizes the tissues within the carton 10, theperforation line 19 is first broken, as by running a fingernail alongthe line 19. An elongated part 21 is thus broken away from the remainderof the top panel 16 and is removed from the top panel, and the line 19is of such shape that an elongated slotlike opening 22 is therebyprovided in the top panel 16.

The top panel 16 is then broken along the perforation line 18, as byrunning a fingernail along the line 18, so as to provide a control ringpanel 23 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) which has the slot 22 extendinglongitudinally of the control panel 23 along the longitudinal centerline of the panel 23. This leaves a narrow rim 24 remaining of the toppanel which is fastened to the side panels 11, 12, and to the end panels13 and 14, and the control panel 23 is shoved downwardly into the carton10 to provide an aperture 25 defined by the rim 24.

When it is desired to utilize the sheets within the carton 10, they aredrawn one at a time through the slot 22 in the control panel 23.Initially, the top of the stack of tissues 20 within the carton liesquite close to the rim 24, and there is little movement of the controlpanel 23 within the carton 10. The sides of the slot 22 function tofrictionally engage the tissues as they are drawn through the slot; andin view of the fact that the tissues 20 are interfolded as previouslydescribed, each upper tissue as it is drawn through the slot 22 pullsthe next lower tissue in the stack partially through the slot so that itpartially protrudes upwardly from the slot and may be easily grasped bythe user.

As the stack of tissues 20 within the carton 10 is depleted, the controlpanel 23 moves vertically to a greater extent within the carton 10 fromthe top of the remaining stack of sheets to the rim 24; and as a tissueis withdrawn from the carton under these conditions, the parts appearsubstantially as illustrated in FIG. 3. As a tissue is drawn through theslot 22, it moves the control panel 23 upwardly beneath the rim 24 dueto the friction between the sides of the slot 22 and the tissue beingwithdrawn; and, after the tissue separates from the slot 22, the controlpanel 23 falls downwardly on the remaining stack of tissues, with thenext succeeding sheet protruding upwardly through the slot asillustrated in FIG. 4, so that the sheet may be easily grasped by theuser. Although the control panel 23 and the aperture 25 are of the samesize, there is never an exact alignment of the edges of the controlpanel 23 with the edges of the rim 24 so that the control panel 23remains within the carton and does not pull out of the carton.

After a substantial part of the stack of tissues within the carton hasbeen used, the perforation lines 17 may be broken, and tabs 26 extendingdownwardly and inwardly of the carton are thereby provided (see FIG. 4).The control panel 23 on upward movement strikes the tabs to limit thevertical movement of the panel 23 which under these conditions wouldotherwise be more than half the height of the carton (the ends of thetabs 26 preferably lie approximately midway between the rim 24 and thebottom panel Dispensing of the tissues from a substantially reducedstack height to thus improved due to the fact that the frictionalengagement between a tissue being withdrawn through the slot 22 need notbe relied on to pull the next succeeding tissue from the top of thestack of tissues for any greater distance than half the height of thecarton 10.

My improved carton advantageously is so arranged that a portion of thetop carton panel 16 may be removed from the remainder of the panel so asto provide the slotted control panel 23 freely movable vertically withinthe carton 10. No separate cost increasing control panel need,therefore, be provided while attaining the advantageous operation ofsuch a floating control panel within the carton. The tabs 26 assure thatthe movement of the control panel 23 within the carton is notsufficiently great so that the frictional contact between succeedingsheets is not sufficient for pulling succeeding sheets through the slot22 for substantially reduced height stacks of tissues remaining in thecarton 10.

I wish it to be understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe specific constructions, arrangements, and devices shown anddescribed, except only insofar as the claim may be so limited, as itwill be understood to those skilled in the art that changes may be madewithout departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is: The combination of a rectangular carton for seriallydispensing interfolded tissue sheets and a stack of interfolded tissuesheets disposed in said carton; said carton being formed by sixrectangular panels including elongated top and bottom panels, two endpanels and two side panels; said top panel having a first closed line ofperforations in an elongate substantially rectangular pattern extendinglongitudinally of said top panel and being inwardly spaced a shortdistance from the edges of said top panel; said first line ofperforations dividing said top panel into an intermediate, substantiallyrectangular, centrally disposed portion, and an outer narrow rimportion; a second closed line of perforations in an elongate patternextending longitudinally of said top panel and being disposed completelywithin the boundaries of said first closed line and inwardly spacedtherefrom; said second line of perforations defining a small sectioncentrally disposed within said intermediate portion of said top panel;said smaller section adapted for detachment along said second line andmanual removal from said carton whereby there is obtained an aperturefor withdrawal of tissues therethrough; each of the side panels of saidcarton being provided with at least two U-shaped perforated lines spacedfrom said end panels and disposed approximately midway between said toppanel and said bottom panel; the intermediate portion of said top panelbeing adapted for detachment along said first line and retention betweensaid rim portion and said tissue stack and being of sufficienttransverse width that when the level of said tissue stack falls belowsaid U-shaped perforations and said intermediate portion is detached,said U-shaped perforations may be broken and the tabs formed therebypushed inwardly to extend past the edges of said rim portion and oversaid intermediate portion when detached to limit vertical movementthereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 537,613 4/1895Lucas 221-63 X 2,023,542 12/1935 Peck 22145 2,305,003 12/1942 Heit 221-X 2,501,357 3/1950 Speckman et al. 22158 2,534,402 12/1950 Blair.

2,579,490 12/1951 Gordon 22951 2,826,334 3/1958 Musler 221-63 X FOREIGNPATENTS 917,049 1/1963 Great Britain. 930,742 7/ 1963 Great Britain.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, LOUIS I. DEMBO,

Examiners.

